Close Combat Tactical Trainer

U.S. Army

The U.S. Army trains teams for a host of armored vehicles and mechanized units on the Close Combat Tactical Trainer (CCTT), a computer-driven, manned module simulator. These simulators replicate vehicle interiors in close combat units such as the M1 Abrams Tank, the M2 Bradley Fighting Vehicle, the M3 Cavalry Fighting Vehicle, the Humvee and others.

The use of a VBS-based IG system provides higher fidelity, enables greater customization and ultimately enhances the training capabilities of our warfighters.

John Givens, President - Americas, Bohemia Interactive Simulations

In late 2012, the CCTT Program of Record began investigating the use of a game engine-based solution as an image generator for the CCTT. Orlando-based AVT Simulation, the prime contractor of the Post Deployment Software Support (PDSS) for the CCTT program, was selected by CCTT to lead the task.

Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim), which develops the Virtual Battlespace 3 (VBS3) software series used for Army’s Games for Training Program of Record, joined the team as a subcontractor and significantly modified VBS3 to serve as the CCTT image generator software.

On January 5th – 8th, 2015 representatives from U.S. Army Training Capabilities Manager - Virtual (TCM - V) and the Maneuver Center of Excellence (MCoE) participated in the VBS IG assessment for training readiness. The core CCTT tenets of Move, Shoot, & Communicate were successfully demonstrated in a variety of maneuver exercises and gunnery scenarios on the Ft. Hood and National Training Center terrain in both daylight and nighttime conditions. At the completion of the testing, the TCM-V concurred that the VBS3-based image generator was acceptable for training.

The new image generator provides CCTT with higher fidelity terrains, rendering complexity and gives more control over the software.

Through its work on the CCTT project, BISim has developed Computer Image Generated Interface (CIGI)-compliant image generator software. This means that other customers using legacy or existing image generators can take advantage of VBS image generator capabilities for synchronized multichannel simulations.

“Decoupling the simulation from the image generation was a tremendous effort,” said John Givens, President - Americas, Bohemia Interactive Simulations. “CCTT served as a proving ground for our new product VBS IG. There were quite a few performance enhancements to VBS that came directly from working with CCTT. The use of a VBS-based IG system provides higher fidelity, enables greater customization and ultimately enhances the training capabilities of our warfighters. We look forward to supporting CCTT in the coming years.”

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The U.S. Army’s mission is to fight and win the Nation's wars by providing prompt, sustained land dominance across the full range of military operations and spectrum of conflict in support of combatant commanders.